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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26470921">The Only Option</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalthirst/pseuds/fictionalthirst'>fictionalthirst</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Terribly) Hidden Relationships, Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:06:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26470921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalthirst/pseuds/fictionalthirst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignis has to give an ultimatum.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Only Option</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Dedicating this one to TurnipKeep, who is keeping me going and also encouraging me to write some Ignoct, so here is babby's first. (Sorry there's no porn in this one. Next time! :D)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ignis is a patient man, that is the thing that everyone knows about him. Everyone except the three people closest to him, who can spot the minute details of his face to work out the swell of rage or frustration coursing hotly through him. The worst is when those three decide to feign ignorance and just continue to do the actions that cause his anger in the first place.</p>
<p>Gladio and Prompto have been doing a stellar job of late at resisting his gentle advice to keep their relationship under wraps until the blond’s Crownsguard training is completed, thereby avoiding any messy relationship paperwork that the Marshal will undoubtedly hand over to Ignis for assistance.</p>
<p>It could also draw unwanted attention to the rather less-than-professional relationship he has been enjoying with his Prince, and he would keep that as quiet as a crypt, for fear of the reprisal that might come down from the divine rule of Noctis’s father.</p>
<p>Noct has little involvement with his friends’ relationship beyond the evening of Prompto’s birthday in which he forcefully demanded that Gladio act on his feelings. Now, he wants nothing to do with the details of maintaining both rather large secrets.</p>
<p>Ignis himself is loath to lie; it does no one good and it wears down the spirit the longer a secret is kept. However, in certain circumstances, such as theirs, it is the only option.</p>
<p>And so, it is with a heart full of love that he must issue an ultimatum to his dearest companions:</p>
<p>“If you feel you cannot cease in acting on your feelings under the public eye,” Ignis begins, his tone even and calm despite the small twitching vein in his temple, directing his words to Gladio, seated on the sofa, and Prompto, seated on Gladio. “I shall suspend my culinary work on our Friday evenings until you’ve both gotten a handle on yourselves.”</p>
<p>“Hah,” Noct laughs, not looking up from King’s Knight. “Take that.”</p>
<p>“This goes for you, as well, Noct,” Ignis says. It is a legitimate tactic; scapegoating the transgressors and influencing others to take up your cause due to the injustice heaved upon them is a time-honored stratagem.</p>
<p>“Oh, hell no,” Noct sits up, more at attention and lively than he’s been in… well hours, if Ignis is being truthful. There was a rather vigorous wakeup call between them this very morning. “I’m not getting punished because you two can’t keep it in your pants.”</p>
<p>“Iggy-” Prompto begins, a sweet lilt to his voice that Ignis knows well to be Prompto’s main ploy for sympathy or special treatment. It works nearly eight out of ten times on Ignis. Today is number nine and ten; he will not be swayed.</p>
<p>“I’ll hear no argument,” Ignis is firm, refusing to look into Prompto’s huge, glassy eyes. “You will find some decorum, or I will feed you beans, and only beans.”</p>
<p>“Beeeaaaannnsss?!” Noct whines. “You guys are the worst. Get it together.”</p>
<p>“Look,” Gladio starts, and Ignis knows he’s going to want to cross the back of the man’s head with his palm, but schools his face into patient restraint. “We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”</p>
<p>“Less than a single braincell to share,” Noct mutters, and Ignis has to stifle a laugh.</p>
<p>“As if you two are the paragons of virtue,” Gladio accuses, and Ignis is affronted.</p>
<p>“Excuse me,” He interjects, unwilling to hear any slander against his decency. “I conduct myself appropriately in every public interaction with my Prince.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Prompto nods, hugging a pillow as he joins in. “You do, of course, Iggy. But Noct is kinda the worst of all of us.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you mean,” Ignis answers, truthfully. He can’t recall any scenario of public affection that would betray their relationship, especially from Noct.</p>
<p>“His RapidShot account is full of pictures of you, and things <i>about</i> you,” Prompto says, pulling his phone out to prove his assertion. “There’s the one from Solstice, when he got you that ridiculous box of culinary knives...”</p>
<p>The image itself is innocuous, but the smattering of heart emojis all over the picture is less than subtle. It is much the same for all of the photographs of Ignis, just hearts and sparkles. There is even one with an eggplant?</p>
<p>“Noct has like, twenty-five thousand followers,” Prompto blinks up at Ignis. “That’s way worse than me and Gladio having a quick smooch at the cafe.”</p>
<p>Ignis likes to believe that in stressful situations, he can find his inner peace and take one problem at a time, unruffled. It takes him a long moment of clenched eyes and drawn brows to find his center and refrain from shouting the lot of them down.</p>
<p>“Two weeks,” Ignis says, breathing very carefully.</p>
<p>“Huh?” Noctis asks, the other two waiting expectantly for an answer.</p>
<p>“Two weeks, no special dinners.” With that, Ignis turns on his heel and marches down the hall, shutting the door to Noctis’s room all too forcefully before falling onto Noctis’s bed, screaming into a pillow.</p>
<p>It is a few very long minutes before he is joined by his Prince, his reason, his light in the darkness. A soft hand caresses his tense shoulders, and Ignis has no choice but to melt.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Noct offers, and Ignis literally cannot remain cross with Noctis, no matter what he does. Even if he were to disappear unexpectedly and come back ten years later, Ignis would welcome him with open arms and an open heart full of love.</p>
<p>“I forgive you,” Ignis says, pulling his beloved down to lay with him. “We must use caution, if we are to remain together. I’m not certain your father would approve of our relationship, and the thought of being taken out of my position at your side-”</p>
<p>“Dad would never do that,” Noctis says with certainty. “Ignis, he loves you like a son. He might be cool with actually having you as a son, someday.”</p>
<p>“You have a duty,” Ignis sighs, pulling together the swelling seams of his heart as he entertains the idea of being tied to Noctis for eternity. “I must not interfere.”</p>
<p>“Luna and I,” Noct begins, hesitates; Ignis waits patiently, silent as the grave. “I love her very much. But she can’t compare to the way I feel about you, okay? I might have to marry her, but she and I both know that we each have loves that supersede that duty.”</p>
<p>“I could never hope to earn that trust from her,” Ignis bows his head, but Noctis won’t allow it. Puts his hand on Ignis’s chin and raises it, his soft grey-blue eyes full of fondness.</p>
<p>“You’ve already got it,” Noct smiles. “You think I only write about myself in the journal? I can’t shut up about you.”</p>
<p>Noct wastes no time in proving his devotion, pressing a gentle drag of his lips across Ignis’s, a soft sigh escaping him as he then touches their foreheads together. “Don’t worry so much.”</p>
<p>“You know that is an impossibility,” Ignis chuckles. “But I will try to relax.”</p>
<p>“Let’s do that,” Noct says, hopping to his feet and dragging Ignis to stand as well. “Prom’s making cocktails and I’m getting hungry.”</p>
<p>“Noct,” Ignis begins, a hint of reproach in his voice, “If this was a ploy to get me to make dinner, you’re out of luck.”</p>
<p>“Nah, Gladio’s ordering out,” Noctis laughs. “You deserve a break once in a while, Specs.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was going to be part of another work, but it stands fine on its own and I actually like it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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